A fairly uneventful day travelling to Italy. We had a short delay at Gatwick (surprise!) while the plane crew and the ground crew tried to agree on how many bags should be in the hold. We flew over Paris and the Alps, and arrived in a sunny warm Rome, took the Leonardo Express train and found the bed and breakfast at 69 Manin Street without too much trouble. After struggling up 3 flights of stairs, just to realise there WAS an elevator, we were soon settled in our room.
Tuesday
An early start had us waiting in Plaza Santa Maria Maggiore for the Rome City Sightseeing tourbus.
We took to complete round trip tour seeing the highlights of Rome from the bus, including a glimpse of the Colosseum, Vatican city, and Julius Ceasar's "Ide's of March" death place before departing the bus back at our origin point and visiting Santa Maria Maggiore itself.
After the church we jumped back on the tour bus for the ride back to the Colosseum. It was while we were here, trying to explain the history to Casey, that I realised we should have rented the movie Gladiator before we travelled. After the Colosseum, we walked down through the Roman Forum to look at the old temples.
Wednesday
An early start and quick taxi ride got us to the Vatican by 8am. Note for future reference. If the guide book says the attraction opens at 7:30am except for some Wednesdays when there is a Papal Audience, and the doors don't look open, don't just join the nearest line and wait! Today was a Wednesday audience day, and the crushing, jostling line of not so patient Pilgrims eventually spewed us into St. Peter's Square. However,not into a line to enter the Basilica, but into a sit down area for Mass. Needless to say, even having waited an hour, we didn't want to sit and wait for the service. We made a quick exit and continued on to the Vatican Museum.
The artifacts and art in the museaums is incredible, but nothing can compare to the beauty of the Sistine Chapel. Photography is not permitted, but could not do justice to Michaelangelo's masterpiece anyway. The paintings are beautifully lifelike, and the 3-D effect is stunning. We all left with stiff necks. St Peter's was still not open when we completed the Sistine Chapel, so it looks like we will not be seeing St Peter’s Basilica and Michelangelo’s Pietà . Instead, after a quick slice of Pizza, a beer and a couple of sodas in the museum cafeteria, we continued on to the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain. The Triton and Four Corners Fountains were on the remainder of the walk back to the hotel, where we all collapsed exhausted and napped before dinner.
Thursday
Today was a later start day and a very unscheduled morning walk. We started with the churches of Santa Maria della Vittoria, then Santa Susanna, which serves as the USA Catholic Church in Rome, and finally San Bernardo alle Terme. On the way back to the hotel we stopped by Fontana delle Naiadi in Piazza della Republica. We passed a badly pregnant beggar having a miraculous pregnancy. Yesterday she was begging less than a mile up the same street dresssed as a young girl, not pregnant but with a sick dog! A few minutes after seeing her, during dinner, we nearly lost Casey's camera to a group of thieving pickpocket beggars. They crowded the table begging for pennies and showing a child's drawing on a postcard. Then at one stage dropped the drawing on the table right over the camera and attempted to pick up the camera with it as they were shoed away. Luckily we realised what was going on and we still have the camera.
For the afternoon we joined a guided tour to Tivoli. The fountain gardens of the Villa del Este in Tivoli are beautiful. The fountains are on the hillside below the Villa and must be a soothing, cool place on a hot summer day. We were fortunate to have cooler and light overcast weather today, but still enjoyed the variety of the fountains. It's a steep climb back out of the gardens to the town and the Tower of Tivoli, the first summer house of the Popes, but it is not used now.
Friday
Today we leave Rome and travel 1 1/2 hours by train to Florence. A short, but pedestrian encumbered walk takes us to Il Bargello B&B. . This is the B&B that I remembered as not having an elevator. It does have 3 floors of steeps steps though!. The "small" luggage we are toting sure seems to get bigger on stairs!
The owner of the B&B however is a native english speaker (from Canada), very pleasant and even helps carry some luggage. Our room is not quite ready yet, so we abandon our luggage, grab cameras and sweaters, and prepare to sightsee.
First and last stops for the day are at the Cathedral (Florence Duomo ) and in between we jump on the Florence Sightseeing bus. We stop at Santa Cruce Church to see the tombs of Michelangelo and Dante, and the original "Statue of Liberty". Next we switch buses for a ride out into the Tuscan countryside and up into the hills above Florence at Fiesole where we eat dinner, before the return trip to Florence.
Saturday - Museum day.
We decided on an early start and skipped breakfast, though we didn't make it more than a block before doughnuts and caffeine tempted us into a cafe bar, Cafe Mingo. This was to be our "staple cafe" as we returned several times during the the remainder of the day as we required sustenance. First culture stop was the Uffizi Gallery where we saw many great works including Botticelli's Venus, Da Vinci's Annunciation, Lippi's Madonna, and Michaelangelo's Holy Family, as well as many other Raphael's, Ruebens, Van Dyck's etc. Of course, we couldn't take pictures of any, so the memories and postcards will have to suffice. Next stop was the Bargello Museum , with lots of beautiful statues but we still could not take photos.
After refreshment at Cafe Mingo we moved on to the Duomo Museum where we could finally exercise the cameras! Most of the art and statiary from the Cathedral has been moved here. We experienced our first Reliqueries - ornately carved, gilded and jewelled containers with what can only be described as "Saint pieces" inside! The first really recognzable piece was an almost complete finger, but others contained jaws with teeth, and other recognizable bones.
Next, we considered a visit to the Galleria dell'Accademia & Michelangelo’s David, but our experiences of the day made us realise that we probably would not be able to take pictures of it anyway, so we settled for the copy of the David, and other statues in the Piazzo Vecchio. Thoroughly museum'd out we returned to our favorite Cafe of the day for refreshment and ice-cream before returning to the room for a nap.
Refreshed, we set out for an evening stroll to Ponte Vecchio 14th-century bridge. We parked ourselves at a riverside bar for a drink and a trip to the bar snack buffet, and watched the sun go down. Returning to the hotel we tested Casey's map reading skills by letting her find the route home. She succeeded admirably, including a stop at Cafe Mingo (again) en route for gelato, and for bag of ice, inkdly supplied by the cafe owner, and the first Mark has seen all week for his evening whisky!
Sunday Daytrip by Train to Pisa to see the Campo dei Miracoli & the Leaning Tower. Casey's map reading once again got us to the right place. The day started out rather grey and gloomy with a tiny sprinkle of rain, but brightened up as the day progressed. We had prebooked tickets for all of us to go up the Tower. Something I have never been able to do on previous trips to Pisa. Mark didn't think he could face the exposure though, so only Casey and I went up.
Monday
This morning we check out of Il Bargello B&B. We have a little time for sightseeing before we return via Rome to Naples so we walk across town to the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine and the Cappella de Braccacio which contains some of the most beautiful frescos we have seen, completed by Lippi (of Madonna and child and 2 angels fame). Then we set off back across town again (just imagine walking this far anywhere else just to look at pictures!) to Capella de Medici, the Chapel and tombs of the Medici Family. A very dark and imposing octagonal chapel with beautiful tombs and Michaelangelo statues.
On the return trip to retrieve our bags from the B&B we stopped one last time at our Cafe Mingo, then on to the train from Florence to Naples where we check in to the Holiday Inn Naples
Tuesday
Today is Pompeii day. It starts off very hot and sunny, and we are soon wishing for ice water. Luckily for us, as we finally find somewhere to buy water, the sky clouds up and we get a few raindrops, but only a very small sprinkle. The remainder of the day is cloudy. Not great for the pictures, but it sure saved us about 10 - 15 degrees! The walking is not as bad as we anticipated but a littel uneven. The ruins are extensive and humbling to imagine how a whole small city can suddenly be stopped in time. Again, I should have had the forethought to rent some movies before visiting so Casey would understand some of the historical significance.
Wednesday
More ruins. Today is Herculaneum's turn. The ruins here are smaller, but were buried deeper and more intact, with 2 storey buildings, and wooden remains. The bed frame below left is a good example of an artifact.
We're Almost ready to come home now. Tomorrow we'll take the train from Naples back to Rome, and hopefully get a little time to shop before the return flight to London Gatwick where we spend a final night at HI Gatwick Naples before the direct BA flight back to Tampa
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